Oswald Rivera

Author: Oswald Rivera (page 55 of 83)

Potatoes Stuffed with Hummus

This is the easiest appetizer to prepare—short of filling a plate with crackers and cheese. It is simple and delicious. Most everyone likes hummus, the thick spread made from chickpeas and (sometimes) sesame seeds, and which had become very popular worldwide over the last two decades or so. Given that fact, what’s easier than stuffing potatoes with it? Not only that, it’s a great beginning to any meal.

In the recipe given I use baby potatoes. But you can use regular Maine or Idaho potatoes. I know friends who prefer big potatoes with the hummus. To me, this is more of a first course than a run-of-the-mill appetizer. Use whatever suits best.

BABY POTATOES STUFFED WITH HUMMUS

1 bag (24 ounces or so) baby yellow and/or red potatoes, washed and scrubbed (not peeled)
1 tub (8-10 ounces) hummus, plain or any flavor desired.

1. Fill a medium pot or pan with water.
2. Bring to a boil. Add potatoes and boil until fork-tender. Do not overcook.
3. Drain. Let the potatoes cool (or rinse under cold running water for faster preparation). Cut the top third off from each potato, and just enough from the bottom so that it can stand upright.
4. Scoop out insides of each potato without cutting or collapsing the sides. Using a small spoon, stuff humus into the cavity.
5. Place on a serving dish or platter, and serve.
Yield: about 10 stuffed potatoes.

Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes

June 18, 2015 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Summer is the season when ripe, fresh tomatoes are in bloom. In the middle of winter when all you can get are those mealy cellophane wrapped imitations, one despairs. But now they are in their glory. You can make a great, hearty tomato based sauce over that pasta. And I’ve discovered you don’t need to spend hours over the stove cooking a marinara sauce. You can use fresh tomatoes as a summer treat. The simplest of all concoctions: tomatoes, garlic, olives and whatever else you want to add; and you have the perfect pasta meal for summer. Add a crusty loaf of bread, and a light red wine, or white if you want. This is not a meal where you stand on formality. A simple, joyous dish for this season.

In the dish given, I use linguine. Yet you can use whatever form of pasta you like, be it tubular like a penne or rigatoni, circular like a radiatore, or strands like spaghetti or fettuccine. Whatever you have in the cupboard will do.

PASTA WITH FRESH TOMATOES

1 pound fresh or dried linguine
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 8.5-ounce can artichoke hearts, cut into fourths
6 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped
1 6-ounce can pitted black olives, drained and sliced in half
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Freshly grated Romano or Pecorino cheese

1. Cook linguine in a pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain, and place in a large serving bowl.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil and vinegar with the artichoke hearts.
3. Add tomatoes, olives, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir to mix, and add to the pasta. Combine thoroughly.
4. Sprinkle with grated cheese and serve.
Yield: 4 servings.

Stewed Potatoes – Papas Guisadas

June 11, 2015 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Back in the old neighborhood, during our lean times, we had certain meals that would tie us over until the next paycheck came in. Examples of these renderings would such standbys as spaghetti with ketchup (yes, ketchup), or with blue cheese; or a stir-fry of franks and onions. But, invariably, our favorite was papas quisadas, or stewed potatoes. This, believe it or not, was served as a main entrée.

Now you’re asking yourself, Potatoes as a main dish? Crazy. No, not really. In our family this became such a popular dish that sometimes my mother would cook it as a treat. And it was to my father and I. We could never get enough of it. Steak, and chicken, and fish was good in times of plenty—but papas guisadas were good anytime.

Stewed potatoes is an easy enough dish to prepare: all you need is potatoes, garlic, tomato sauce and cilantro, that’s it. And served over plain steamed or yellow rice, it’s heavenly, whether on lean days or not.

PAPAS GUISADAS
(Stewed Potatoes)

1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 1/2 pounds Maine or Idaho potatoes, cut into cubes. Note: if organic, unpeeled (if you prefer).
If non-organic, peeled.
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon fresh chopped oregano, or 1/4 teaspoon dried.
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, washed and chopped
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet or frying pan. Add garlic and sauté until garlic is slightly browned.
2. Add potatoes and stir-fry for 5 minutes.
3. Add tomato sauce and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low heat until potatoes are tender.
4. Serve piping hot.
Yield: 4 servings.

Fish Steaks with Lemon-Basil Sauce

June 5, 2015 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

This is the time to get fresh basil. The beginning of summer and every farmer’s market is bursting with with it. One of my favorite recipes using this great ingredient is fish in lemon-basil sauce. You can elect to use fish fillets or fish steaks. I prefer fish steaks. To me they are a more hardy, stick to the ribs alternative. And nothing is simpler or easier to make: blend basil and some other herbs in a blender, spread over fish steaks and bake. That’s it. Served with boiled potatoes or plain, steamed rice, it’s a winner. Add a good chilled white wine (or light red, if you prefer), and you’re set.

FISH STEAKS WITH LEMON-BASIL SAUCE

1 cup fresh basil, washed and finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh leaf parsley, washed and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon water
1 1/2 pounds fresh fish steaks (cod, halibut, tuna, ext.)
Additional basil for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Put basil, parsley, garlic, pepper, olive oil, lemon juice, and water together in a blender; and puree. If desired, thin with more water.
3. Place fish fillets in a baking dish (I prefer cast iron). Pour lemon-basil sauce over fish. Bake 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
4. Garnish with basil leaves and serve.
Yield: 4 servings.

Avocado-Crabmeat Salad

May 31, 2015 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Summer is upon us, and it’s salad time again. In our family, the favorite salad ingredient (apart from lettuce and tomatoes) is the avocado. A good, ripe avocado to us is a measure of heaven. And we prefer the big smooth ones rather than the small, pitted pear shape kinds. Think of Haas avocados. Nothing wrong with them, but being Nuyorican, we prefer the Caribbean variety.

In the old days, before we all became more knowledgeable of things culinary, the basic Puerto Rican salad was lettuce, tomato and avocado slices drizzled with olive oil and vinegar. Or we would have the avocado separately as a side dish in itself. Party salads and such were the province of San Juan debutante society. Today, in our household, we have a salad repertoire that is vast and various, ranging from from hot and cold to pasta and buffet salads. But we still hark back to the avocado as a mainstay. The recipe given below exemplifies that ideal. It’s Ensalada de Aguacate y Juevjes or avocado-crabmeat salad. It can be served as a meal in itself with a crusty loaf of bread, or as a salad course. Take you pick. By the way, if you’re interested in more ingenious avocado offerings, you can always pick up my cookbook Puerto Rican Cuisine in America (Running Press, Perseus Books). It’s chock-full of avocado inspired salads.

ENSALADA DE AGUACATE Y JUEYES

1 pound fresh lump crabmeat or 4 6-ounce cans crabmeat, drained
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 lemon, cut in half
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 fully ripened avocados
2 medium ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into slender wedges
Extra salt for sprinkling
Parsley sprigs for garnish

1. If fresh, pick over crabmeat to remove any shell or cartilage.
2. In a bowl, combine crabmeat, mayonnaise, juice of 1/2 lemon, onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix lightly.
3. Cut each avocado in half, peel and remove the pit. Cut each half into 6 or 8 wedges. Squeeze remaining lemon half over the avocado to prevent discoloration.
4. Place crabmeat in the center of a serving platter. Arrange avocado and tomato wedges alternately around the crabmeat. Sprinkle wedges lightly with salt.
5. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve.
Yield: 4 servings.

Cooking with Paprika

May 25, 2015 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Paprika is a spice that I love. I use it often and in countless recipes. I love its flavor and color. And I discovered it has many uses, and not just as a spice. If you want to make a quick, spicy, tangy pilaf rice, add some paprika to the rice while cooking. It will impart a deep color (depending upon how much you use) and a unique taste to the rice. My experience has been that, in American cookery, you won’t find paprika used that often. And that’s sad. Because once you start experimenting with it, it will intrigue you. That being said, I find that most of the prepackage, processed American paprika sold in supermarkets is kind of mild. To my palette, pure Hungarian paprika is best. If you can’t find that, then go for Spanish paprika (pimentón), it’s just as good.

Paprika is actually a powder which is made by grinding the pods of various kinds of peppers known as capsicum annuum. The pepper varieties range from bell peppers (mild) to chili peppers (hot). And it is the fourth most consumed spice in the world. Its the national spice of Hungary (think of Hungarian goulash). There are different grades of Hungarian pepper; but the favorite variety (specially in the U.S.) is édesnemes, or “noble sweet,” which is slightly pungent and a bright red color.

Dishes which highlight this great spice include such stalwarts as deviled eggs, and the famous chicken paprikash. The dish I give below is chicken with a paprika sauce. Its tasty, innovative, and delicate. So, go out, get some chicken breasts, some paprika, and go to town. You won’t be disappointed.

CHICKEN WITH PAPRIKA SAUCE

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, about 1 1/2 pounds, halved
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium to large sweet red pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into strips about 1/4-inch wide
1 small onion, peeled and cut into thin rings
2 teaspoons paprika (more or less to taste)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
Fresh chopped parsley for garnish (about 2 tablespoons)

1. Rub chicken breasts with pepper.
2. Heat oil in a large frying pan or skillet. Add the breasts and cook about 1 1/2 minutes. Turn and cook 1 1/2 minutes on the other side.
3. Scatter the red pepper strips and onion over the chicken. Then sprinkle with the paprika.
4. Cook over low heat, uncovered, for 4 minutes.
5. Add vinegar, chicken broth, and cream. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook an additional 8 minutes.
6. Remove to serving platter, sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Yield: 4 servings.

Nuyorican Rack of Lamb

May 15, 2015 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

This is what my father, of late memory, would call a “highfalutin dish.” And I can understand that view. It seems, mention rack of lamb and you get immediate pictures of people in some fancy-dan restaurant with waiters fluttering about with a maītre d’ snapping his fingers and pointing at tables. Fact is, rack of lamb is very easy to cook. Granted, it’s a mite more expensive cut but, for that special occasion, it’s well worth it. And my version is, naturally, Nuyorican style. Yes, we do have rack of lamb, with the usual seasonings native to our cuisine (plus a dash or rum). Think of it as an island treat.

In the old days, cooking rack of lamb was a pain because you had to prepare the rack of lamb by getting a whole rack, cutting all of the surface fat from the meat and bone, removing the long chine bone, hacking off the ends of the ribs, and leaving about one and one-half inches of the ribs intact while separating the rest from the loin of meat. This was difficult and time consuming. Today you can buy a rack of lamb with bones “frenched” (as they say) with blade and chine bone removed. All you have to do is wash the lamb under cold running water, dry with paper towel, season and cook.

Rack of lamb can be prepared in one of two ways: you can cook atop the oven by searing the meat on each side, and then simmering in some liquid on low heat, or roasted in the oven. Some chefs sear and then roast. I go for the traditional roasting method: just coat with bread crumbs and seasonings, and roast to desired doneness. Nothing could be simpler. Given my Puerto Rican background, I serve the dish with pilaf or saffron rice; but you can also serve it with baked or puréed potatoes and/or broiled tomatoes. Hell, you can serve it with french fries, if you want. In my culture we don’t stand on ritual, just taste and satisfaction.

RACK OF LAMB – NUYORICAN STYLE

1 well-trimmed rack of lamb (1 to 1 1/2 pounds), bones frenched (blade and chine bones removed)
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
3 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon dark or white rum (dark rum gives more pronounced flavor)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parsley, garlic, oregano and pepper.
3. Rub the rack of lamb with butter.
4. Coat the rack of lamb with bread crumb mixture, pressing evenly over the meat on both sides.
5. Place in a baking dish large enough to hold the rack in one layer, sprinkle with the rum; and roast, meat side up, for 10 minutes.
6. Reduce temperature to 400 degrees. Roast for 15-20 minutes more. Check for doneness (around 135 degrees for medium rare). Let lamb stand 10 minutes before serving.
Yield: 3-4 servings.

Empanadillas – Stuffed Meat Pies

May 8, 2015 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Empanadillas are a delicacy popular in Nuyorican cooking. Basically, it’s a stuffed meat pie. Cubans have their own version of it, and they call it empanadas. We also have empanadas. But our version differs from the empanadillas in that the ingredients are traditionally wrapped in plantain leaves and then the stuffed empanada is baked in a medium oven. The most famous use of plantain leaves in our culture is in the preparation of pasteles (for a step-by-step recipe, see my video of 12/4/10). For pasteles, if plantain leaves are not available, we wrap them in waxed paper. With empanadas, you can use aluminum foil which works just as well.

Empanadillas need no plantain leaves or waxed paper. It’s a very straight forward recipe, and depending on the filling, empanadillas can be made large, medium, or small size. It’s just a matter of preference. The following recipe will make about 10 empanadillas, depending on size.

The recipe is from my first cookbook, Puerto Rican Cuisine in America (Perseus Books, Running Press) which has gone into its 3rd printing.

EMPANADILLAS
(Stuffed Meat Pies)

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
4 cups flour
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup water mixed with 1/4 teaspoon sugar
Vegetable oil for frying

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or frying pan. Add beef, bell pepper, onion, garlic, salt and ground pepper. Sauté over high heat, stirring constantly, until meat loses its red color.
2. Reduce heat to low, stir in tomato sauce and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine 3 cups flour, 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, baking soda, sugar and salted water. Sift through the hands until the flour is moistened and a soft dough is formed.
4. Roll dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently.
5. Break off a small piece of dough and flatten into a patty. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough into a circle 6-7 inches in diameter. Fill center with a tablespoon of beef filling, and fold circle in half. Using a small plate as a guide, trim off excess dough to get a perfect half moon shape. Seal edges by pressing all the way round with the tines of a fork. Repeat until ingredients are used up, dusting the surface and empanadillas with flour, as needed, to prevent sticking.
6. Deep-fry in hot oil until golden (about 3-4 minutes). Remove and drain on absorbent paper towels.

Cooking with Garlic Oil

April 24, 2015 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

In my family, we loved garlic. It’s in our DNA. My mother, my aunt, my uncles would use mounds of it when cooking. As I’ve stated before, vampires would have a hard time with us. Looking back on it now, it’s odd that we used garlic in conjunction with olive oil, but always as separate ingredients in a dish. We never combined the two as one spice. The Italian norm of dipping bread into olive oil combined with strips of garlic and using that instead of butter, never occurred to us. It wasn’t native to our cooking. When I traveled to Italy in the 1980s and discovered garlic oil, another innovation to me, and I was in heaven. I’ve used garlic oil in whatever variation ever since.

And it’s so easy to combine these two staples. You can use it in vinaigrettes, dressings, marinades, you name it. Add to that, it is the simplest thing to make.

Given below is my standard basic recipe for garlic oil, followed by a couple of quick recipes for this wonder weapon of cooking. The recipes yield 4 servings.

GARLIC OIL

Cloves from 1 head garlic, peeled and crushed
1 cup olive oil (either regular for a more piquant taste, or extra virgin for a more subtle taste)

1. In a medium pot or pan, add garlic and olive oil.
2. Cook over medium-low heat until bubbles start to form around garlic, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low simmer and cook until garlic begins to brown, about 10 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and let cool at room temperature for 45 minutes. Use as needed; and store the rest in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
MAKES 1 CUP

Recipes:

FISH MARINATED IN GARLIC OIL

In a large zip-lock plastic bag, combine 2 pounds fresh fish fillets (any fish); 1/2 cup garlic oil with cloves; 2 lemons cut into thin rounds; salt and ground back pepper to taste; and 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 2 teaspoons fresh). Shake to coat fish, and let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. 10 minutes before serving, preheat broiler. Broil fish until done. If the fillet is very thick, it may need to be turned over one time.

CHICKEN MARINATED IN GARLIC OIL

In a large zip-lock plastic bag, combine garlic oil with cloves; 2 lemons cut into thin rounds; 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley; and 1 whole chicken (3-3 1/2 pounds), washed and cut into 8-10 pieces. Shake to coat chicken, and let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. Or you can refrigerate overnight for a more pronounced flavor. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place chicken with marinade in a roasting pan. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste, and bake until skin is golden and chicken is cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes.

Chicken with Prunes

April 15, 2015 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

I know, you’re saying, “Chicken with prunes—what?” Yeah, chicken with prunes. Prunes do not generally come up in American cooking. If at all, it’s in prune juice—which supposedly makes one regular. In Jewish cooking you sometimes have them as a filling for Hamantashen, a popular sweet during the festival of Purim. In the TV series, Star Trek, prune juice was the favorite drink of Lieutenant Worf, the Klingon crew member who considered it to be a “warrior’s drink.”

Prunes, however, are very popular in Middle Eastern cuisine. And it goes back a long way. In the Kitab al Wusla il al Habib, a medieval Arabic cookbook, there is a dish of chicken cooked with prunes. And today, in Morocco, a similar dish, Tagine with Prunes, is very popular.

I recently had some prunes on hand and decided to give this combination a try. And it came out very tasty. Scoff all you will. Once you prepare this dish, you won’t be disappointed.

CHICKEN WITH PRUNES

1 3-pound chicken, skinned and cut into serving pieces
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced into rings
1/4 teaspoon powdered saffron
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon fresh chopped oregano (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
Salt to taste
1 pound prunes, soaked overnight

1. Rinse chicken pieces under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Place chicken and onion in a large pot, heavy kettle or Dutch oven.
3. Sprinkle with saffron, ginger, oregano and salt. Cover chicken with water, bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer gently, covered, until chicken is tender and the stock is reduced (20-30 minutes).
4. Add prunes and continue cooking with the pan uncovered until the prunes are soft and the sauce is considerably reduced (about 1/2 hour longer).
5. Serve the chicken covered with the sauce over steamed rice or couscous.
Yield: 4 servings.

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